Was thinking, cheap and easy door alarm, for when you are sleeping over, a pull the pin personal alarm and a couple of stick on hooks at the bottom of the door. Can fit out four doors for about £20
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There is a nice secure campsite near Charles De Gaul road, in Calais, 5 minutes to sea front, about 20 minutes by the river to Calais centre where there are some nice restaurants, biggest pain about Calais was getting through the Port we thought in April it would be quick it took us about 1.5 hours to reach ferry park.The chances are that the doors were not even locked despite leaving the keys in the ignition.. which in itself is a big no no.
If The passenger door was opening first then the entral locking was probably never engaged in the first place.
The moral is . Never overnight
in a Service station especially one near a ferry port and never leave keys in the ignition.
If we ever just stop in a service station one of us always stays with the van and all doors are kept locked even if just fuelling up.
The OP was very lucky.
Not a deterrent. Friends of ours, getting out of Spain when COVID hit parked in a motorway services near Claremont Ferrand after driving for 12+ hours.Just put a rachet strap between the door handles and due it up
Just thinking; our next trip later this month will be the first overseas with Jazz. She might look the part, but if burglars arrive with a ball or a frisbee, she'll be useless.
When stopping at night I always ratchet all doors together that way they can't be opened from the outside even if they manage to unlock.That's worrying. How can it be so easy to get into? What's the best way to overcome this, please?
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Google vanlocks Exeter , they fitted my plates and deadlocks on all doors.Thank you but it says the requested link can't be found.
I don't want to sound unsympathetic or obnoxious in any way, but I really can't believe that anyone would contemplate stopping overnight on a motorway rest area in France after all the posts and publicity they've had on M/home fun and numerous other Motorhome websites, it's lucky they didn't open the drivers door first and spot the keys in the ignition and grabbed them and ran, you've had a really lucky escape.....just sayin.I stayed the night in a motorway rest area on the E17 in France, heading towards Calais. At 6:30am I woke up to the sound of my cab doors unlocking, and the interior light came on in the cab. Then the passenger door started to open. I yelled "HEY" and it closed again, so fortunately nothing was lost. The motorhome is based on a 2017 Fiat Ducato chassis. The keys were in the ignition and I was sleeping in the back. There is no way that they could have had advance access to the actual key as I parked and went to bed without ever opening a door. My question is how did they manage to unlock the cab doors? Did they somehow pick the lock on the driver's side before coming around the the passenger side? Did they have a way of remotely reading the chip in the key that was in the ignition? Or is there another way of remotely defeating the locking system?
That's desperate, was there a trouser shortage in Covid as well?Not a deterrent. Friends of ours, getting out of Spain when COVID hit parked in a motorway services near Claremont Ferrand after driving for 12+ hours.
The scrumbags managed to force the passenger door open enough to cut the strap.
Friends woke up and only an empty pair of old trousers were stolen.
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I think a little common sense is in order. We have all been conditioned to think that leaving keys in the ignition is a sin. But surely there is a difference between leaving the keys in the ignition and the vehicle unattended (big no no), and leaving the keys in the ignition while staying inside the vehicle with all the doors locked. Anyway these Aire scumbags are not trying to kidnap the vehicle and sleeping occupants. All they are doing is trying to sneak in and swipe cash and valuables, so they are not interested in the keys. I'm not saying I am proud of accidentally leaving keys in the ignition but I don't think it is as ridiculously reckless as some people seem to be implying. I only mentioned it in my post because I wasn't sure if keys located near a locked door could somehow be scanned from outside and provide method of entry. We now know that is not what happened.I can't recall all the numerous times we have had dire warnings about sleeping on french motorway Aires. And also leaving your keys in the ignition ( ask your insurance) .
Now just because I have said it in this thread , all of a sudden it's ok , so carry on.
but I really can't believe that anyone would contemplate stopping overnight on a motorway rest area in France after all the posts and publicity they've had on M/home fun and numerous other Motorhome websites,
I acquired the car in the article below after it was stolen from a driveway by the central locking being opened using a tennis ball with a hole in it placed over the key hole and bashed. 18 days old. Loaded onto a recovery truck in the middle of the night.
It was a hoot to drive.
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Ha ha no! Our friends had moved all valuables to the back under their bed.That's desperate, was there a trouser shortage in Covid as well?
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except the keys!Always take my wallet and mobile to the rear bed area every night. Not much else of value up front.
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N EVER leave your keys in the ignition lock unattended by yourself.You are asking for trouble. imhoHa ha. Yes, I leave our keys in the ignition too.
Seriously, don't do that.
We put a bulldog clip on the side door handle to remind us to turn off the alarm before opening the door.What I don’t like is these people that open their Hab doors at 5-00am in the mornings and forget to turn off their Vanbitz alarm
Can I just say that I've been sleeping regularly on motorway services in the UK and Europe for years, without a single issue.
What a great thread. It has reminded me to appreciate how wonderful it is to be old and retired.if you have a Motorhome, and people really shouldn’t be put off making them part of their travel plans. I am normally in a hurry so a days driving, overnight on the motorway
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So does this mean Ducatos newer than 2017 are not vulnerable to this type of attack, or just a bit less vulnerable, or still as bad? Any personal experiences of owners with newer vans would be very helpful.Fiat started fitting internal 'deflector' plates in 2017 to prevent this happening. Mine is a 2017 manufacture and I found them when I fitted Proplates. Still fitted the Proplates as a visual deterrent.
What to stay in a designated sleeping area along side hundreds of other travellers?So would you advise others it’s a good idea ?
Hang a cheap movement alarm in the middle, something like:Not a deterrent. Friends of ours, getting out of Spain when COVID hit parked in a motorway services near Claremont Ferrand after driving for 12+ hours.
The scrumbags managed to force the passenger door open enough to cut the strap.
Friends woke up and only an empty pair of old trousers were stolen.
So would you advise others it’s a good idea ?
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